The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act is a landmark in law. For the first time, companies and organisations can be found guilty of corporate manslaughter as a result of serious management failures resulting in a gross breach of an Employers’ Duty of Care.

In April 2008 the Act came fully into force for the purpose of clarifying the criminal liabilities of companies and organisations where serious failures in the management of health & safety result in a fatality.

The new Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act have subsequently claimed its first scalp, that of Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings who became the first company within the UK to be convicted. Winchester Crown Court fined Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings £385,000 plus costs, which it will pay over a 10 year period. The business had a recorded turnover c2008 of £333,000.

Cotswold Geotechnical Holdings were held to account over the death of one of their employees namely Mr Alexander Wright, aged 27. Alex died whilst working in a trench that collapsed on him.

Further information about this particular case is widely reported in the press. The above is an overview only as can be found from the public domain.